Can you learn to be a plumber from home?

Well, the answer to this question is yes, you can learn to become a plumber at home; up to a point. Studying at home has become increasingly popular as not everyone can commit themselves to full time or even part time courses for many reasons including family circumstances or their current job commitments.

Studying at home to become a plumber would be a great choice for you if you have other commitments and cannot give the time out of your busy schedule to commit yourself to intensive plumbing programmes which can last anywhere between eight and ten weeks.

Of course the great advantage of studying at home is that you won’t have to be tied to an already prepared timetable and you will have the opportunity to study at your own pace, in your own time and in the comfort of your home. With some home study courses you can take up to five years to complete the length of the course will really all depend on the amount of free time you have available to put into your studying.

Home study plumbing courses may be the best choice for you if you’re currently employed and have to stay in your job for the time being. You’ll be able to retrain for a new career in your free time and still earn a wage while you study, until you are fully qualified and ready to begin your new career.

You can learn the plumbing theory at home

Home study plumbing courses are put together by experts in their field, these people really know their trade and so you can be rest assured that you have the best chance in qualifying with the guidance of these experts. They will know exactly what training and information you will need to be provided with in order for you to have the best possible chance in obtaining your City and Guilds Plumbing 6129 Technical certificate, which is the current recognised entry level qualification into the plumbing industry.

Once you are qualified as a plumber you can then decide if you want to try to achieve your NVQ Level 2 (6089). NVQ assessors will support you while you are in the plumbing industry and will assess you in your knowledge.

There will be many sections to your home study plumbing course including theory training which can all be done in the comfort of your home, in this section you may be given a non complicated, comprehensive plumbing manual which will guide you through each of the modules that you will encounter during your course, each of these modules, when added together will make up your City and Guilds Level 2 6129 qualification.

You can work through the manual in your own time and in whichever order you like. You will probably have self assessments that you will encounter as you work your way through the modules, this will enable you to check on your progress. You may also be provided with support DVD’s that you can watch, to see how the experts carry out jobs. A portfolio of your training is gradually built up as you work your way through the modules.

Some home study plumbing courses provide you with online exams and these will confirm whether or not you are competent in each of the mandatory units.

Get manual assessments at a training centre

The practical training cannot be done at home as you will have to be assessed on all that theory you would have been learning. Your level 2 plumbing qualification cannot be completed without you carrying out all the practical tasks that are required.

Obviously your assessors will realise that you wouldn’t have had any practical training previously and that all you would have learned up to then would be through a manual, your assessors are there to help and guide you through. That’s why practical assessments are so important and are mandatory.

Some home study plumbing courses carry out the practical aspects on a weekly basis in separate training blocks that will cover the different modules, some home plumbing courses may also offer you weekends in order for you to carry out your practical assessments.

Summary: At home training could be the right choice for you

Once you have successfully completed your plumbing training course you will be awarded with your City and Guilds 6129 Plumbing Technical Certificate at level 2. You can then begin a new rewarding career as a qualified plumber.

That’s about it I hope this article has helped to answer your questions about studying to become a plumber at home and I wish you the very best of luck.

Search for:

Career Profile: Plumber

Earnings potential:

Starting around £16,500 - £21,000 per year.Rising to £30,000 per year or more with experience.

Hours Worked

Up to 39 per week Monday to Friday.

You may be required to work weekends and evenings for emergency call outs or in order to meet a customer's deadline.

If you are self employed the more you work the more you can make.

Due to the nature of this job you will be working indoors and outdoors, the work can be physical demanding.